Son and Pop Age 4

The above picture is our grandson Benjamin, age 4.

The below three pictures are his father Rocky when he was age 4.

Dunk, Anyone?

Me

Don Lash

Joe Rexroad

One weekend in the summer time  in about 1963 we visited my Uncle Roy at the Clearpool Boys Camp in Carmel, New York, about 60 miles north of NYC.  Clearpool is/was a camp for troubled youth in the city.

While everybody was in the chow hall, my two Navy buddies and I found a rope hanging from a tree at the side of a lake.  We shed all our cloths but our skivvies (Navy talk) and swung on he rope our over the water and let go and splashed.

How come Joe had dark color skivvies?  Skid marks?

incredible Shrinking Candidate

I know at least two people who are counting the number of times Trump used the word "Incredible', "fantastic" and "Terrific" at press conferences.   He used those words many times.

Tonight I heard part of his press conference.  They have fantastic insight.

Overuse of those words are Superhero comicbook stuff.

I wonder if he ever thinks about THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN?

Beware of False Profits

art by Jack Davis, MAD Comics

This one lump sum they have elected to send all taxable   making under a certain amount, something like $90,000.  Of course they are giving it to you so you will do your patriotic duty to up the economy  and spend it.  Drinks on the house!

Do you think they are just giving it to you?  Be careful.  I heard hints they will ask for their money back next year when you pay your income tax.

If that is true, and they demand their money back next year from the working class do you think they will demand money back from the  corporations that also got a helping hand so they wouldn't go bankrupt?  BIG FAT BONUSES FOR ALL EXECUTIVES!!

Navy Times - Me in Greenwich VCillage.

Here I stand, as casually, laid back, care-free, about 1963, in Greenwich Village, ready to make witty and/or comments of wisdom to people that pass by.  I know they will think I'm a neighborhood beatnik. 

Hmm, It seemed like they all cross the street to the other side just before they got to me.  That's a shame, I had to gems ready.

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! What Wall?

I haven't heard anything about Trump's WALL lately.  Surely he didn't forget he also has building of THE WALL to tend to.

Here is a reminder.

Click on to enlarge so it might make sense.

Kittyhawk's Wind

The couple of days we were at seaside at Kittyhawk, North Carolina, it sure was windy.  The car door almost sprung because of the wind, when we opened it, which hurt the Anna's arm.  Man, was it windy!  I bet you could throw a paper airplane up in the air and it would fly a long ways.

Which brings up the question did he Wright Brothers' flying contraption really fly on its own or was it carried away with ever-present wind?  Hmmmmmmm.

Dorothy Edmondson Hunter R.I.P.

To my Hunter cousins:

Charlotte Hunter mailed to tell me her mother Dorothy Edmonson Hunter died March 2, 2020.

She was married to William Ray Hunter (1924-2012).  William was son of Oscar Ray Hunter.

Oscar Ray is son of William Hunter(Trammell) and Emaline Ray.  Oscar was a bookkeeper with Panama Canal project, and  that is where he met his nurse wife Charlette Georgia McCabe.

William was a rocket scientist.  Really, he worked for the government as a space scientist and after he retired was called back several times as an advisor.

Dorothy was much in genealogy and volunteered at the National Archives, where she found and share with me some valuable family history information.

Dorothy died of advanced pneumonia.  She requested no “dramatic” effort to keep her alive.  She did not want anybody to make a fuss over when the time comes.  And the same for funerals and memorial service.  Her immediate family will honor her request.

But I hope it will tolerable to say something nice about her.  She was a hard no-nonsense researcher, witty, and  loved her family.  I met her several times will miss our communications.

Hoax Kills

Hangars at Sunset

These are two hangars in the horizon at sunset.  It looks nice and dramatic doesn't ut?

There is a story behind the lens:  I was drunk and so was my friend Don that I just met in the EM Club.  It was my first day in the helicopter squadron and Don was the first person I met social.  We hit it off as friends.  The more we drunk the more we talked ourselves into stealing on of the helicopters, take it for a joy ride and return it.

We walked to the helo "runway".  . "What could go wrong?  we asked ourselves.  

"EVERYTHING!"  I thought to myself.  We could crash, we would be arrested too.  I wanted him to back out.  And he was hoping I would back out.

Somehow, still zonked, and talking and one subject led to another subject, because we just met, we just wandered back to the barracks still yaking.

Blowing a Whistle or Being Anti-American

Art by Will Elder in MAD  magazine

I think our president has given a bad name to “Whistle Blowers”.  After he let off his steam about one anonymous whistle blower one would think Whistle Blower is about the same as “Tattle Tale”, “Stool Pigeon”, and “Anti-American”.

Really? 

Of course, a Stool Pigeon and Tattle Tale are ones that tales someone of authority criminal activity or copying someone’s test answers in school.

A Whistle Blower is one who tells authorities that a regulation or law is being broken.  And the regulation or law was written up to abide to safety regulations or cost/price cheating. Usually they are safety protection rule or to prevent companies from charging to government taxpayers too much.

3 Nuts in a Fountain

This is the Plaza Hotel in New York City, almost next to Central Park.  Here are my Navy friends Dick Hiatt, Don Lash, and Ray Schultz.

The pose at the fountain I directed my friends to do, I think I saw the Monkees do a similar poise several years later on their weekly TV show.  Do I get an inspiration fee?  Is it too late? Hey!  We did it first!

But we did not do the tricycles (if you watched the Monkees on TV you will know what I'm talking about).

The Perky Bulb

We have been doing what they recommended, keeping to ourselves curfewed; isolated;  staying away from crowds, etc…. we been doing it for years so it comes naturally.

Yesterday I was up at the street checking our mailbox and our neighbor lady saw me and came barging over talking to me as she approached.  Talking to is as effective as lassoing someone, they are not going any where if they are included in the conversation, it would be rude.

She was telling me she was planting flowers under her window and all she had planted there had died, so she is going to try another kind, I forgot.  I told her the window is on the northside of the house and there will always be a shade there to keep almost any plant from growing.  She ignored what I said and said this time she was using a different plant food.  She was also almost in my face.

I stepped back and reminded her of the “social distance” rule.  She told me she wasn’t worry, she has already had coronavirus and you can only catch it one time.   Of course she did.

I laughed nervously and said I hadn’t.

She went on to tell me she got a job at CDC, as a member of a team of three who goes into a place and completely sterilizes the place.  She said he has to wear a special suit and headgear.

If that is true, I expect her to wear that outfit when she plants her flowers in the shade.

Two Landmarks in Canton, on Hwy 5

These work great for directions, just like Marietta's Big Chicken!

Atlanta Street, first block, Marietta, Ga.

I was born on Atlanta Street and spent my first 6 years about two blocks away in the Clay Homes.

All of this area was my playground and still my comfort zone.

Take for instance the stairs you see in the picture.  It led two WBIE Radio Station own and operated by James Wilder.  In High School Billy Joe Royal and his band played live one weekday after school was out, probably about 4:30.

Directly across the street was the Marietta Police Station where my father was chief for a while.

Alexia, make a note, Remind me to take of picture of the store front of what used to be the Marietta Police.

Racist J.B. Stoner speaking; Congressman Larry McDonald sitting

During my adult life I have taken thousands of pictures.  Many, probably most, went unshared.  Well, I am going to try to remember to share some or at least one daily.    Some are good, some are not so good, and some you might think are terrible.

I attempted to do this before, and the novelty wore off quickly.   

Here we go again!

Back in the late 70s and early 80s I carpooled with a co-worker.  He lived near downtown Marietta.  Four or five times a week I would have to drive right by J.B. Stoner's house.  I mentioned to other Atlanta Postal workers I drove by J.B.'s house and mentioned I saw his garbage in sacks in front of his house.  They pleaded with me to pick up his garbage and give it to them to go through.  Nope!.  A person's garbage is as private as their mail.

Tuba Skinny Freight Train Blues

This is my favorite New Orleans street band, Tuba Skinny.  A couple of years ago they played at a closed school in near Little Five Points.  I made such a pest of myself taking pictures of the band, Shaye Cohn, the bandleader told me to get out of their faces, in a kind and gentle, but, to the point way, of course.

We came across them by accident Saturday night while channel surfing.  They were playing Freight Train Blues, just like now.

Sgn of the Times

In the check-out line at Kroger’s this morning a mistake was made.   I don’t know what the error was made.  The lady whose groceries was being tallied apologized to the lady behind her, who said more or less, for her not to worry, she will pay the difference.  I think probably the lady did not have enough money to cover the entire amount.  The generous  lady behind her, “No problem, I’ll pay the difference.”

The first lady thanked her and thanked her.  I got a better look at the person.  She was old with plenty of unnatural bumps on her face and about two of her front teeth was missing.  Financially she was having a hard time.

After thanking and thanking  suddenly she said, “Or did you do that just because you are in a hurry?”

She realized the moment she said that she realized she was  biting the hand that fed her.  Then she changed the subject, sort of, she said she had to borrow some money to pay for the groceries and thought she had enough.

Then she said, “I could just hug you, but that isn’t allowed anymore.”

The generous lady laughed and said, “Please don’t”

Sign of the times.

SUNDAY FUNNIES! MAD #6 PING PONG

This is from MAD Comic #6.   Story by editor Harvey Kurtzman (who also did the front cover above) and art by Will Elder.  Click on each page to make it readable and hopefully funny.

Number of Readers

art by Jack Davis, ripped from a MAD Comic

A couple years ago this blog Chicken-fat.com had a rather large amount of readers daily.  Between 500 and 1500.   This blog, Chicken-fat.com had been producing almost daily since 2005.  It was on a roll.

That was then, now is now.  Now, the daily readership is around is about 50, sometimes a few under and sometimes a few over, give or take.  I could almost put my faithful readers in a van with a cooler and ride around.

What went wrong?  My faithful readers finally read it in depht decided there was nothing to it.

That's OK, it give me more freedom, to write about nothing, just like a Seinfeld episode. 

HAPPY FIRST FULL DAY OF SPRING

And no hugging anyone except trees.

Me and the Big Chicken

We Have Come To Praise Him

The other day at a live press conference Trump gave a run-down on what he has done to fight off the Coronavirus epidemic.  After he spoke he said Vice President Pence wanted to say something which then the VP took the floor.  He said how great “Mr. President” is.  It is like he was saying, “Mr. President you are so wonderful.”  Then,  Trump said someone else had a few words, which they also praised Trump, and then another.

I remember a year or so ago about the same thing was done at Trump’s Cabinet meeting.

I never heard of this being done before and everybody keeping a straight face.

Died and Gone to Hell

This is my great-g-g-John Hunter (c1775-1848) and Polly Edward’s cabin in the Choetoe Community of Union County, Georgia.  John and his sons built it in the mid 1830s while, it has been handed down, fighting Indians.   It was probably while they drove the Indians off their land.  Two of his sons, Jason Henderson Hunter (my great-g-grandfather) and Andrew M. Hunter (the oldest) were U.S. Soldiers on the infamous Trail of Tears.

Harriet Hunter and Daniel England.  It looks like Harriet might be in the "family way".

The above is a postcard.  On the back it is named “The Daniel England Cabin”.  Daniel England (1818-c1897) and his wife, John Hunter’s daughter) Harriet E. Hunter (1821-aft 1900) lived in after John Hunter died.  Apparently, Daniel was the first one to get  a deed on the property.

John Hunter's Cabin was moved to the Farmers' Market in Blairsville, Ga.  They made some changes.  I visited it first when it was out near a pasture and Knottly River behind it.  The fireplace was jagged rocks.  When we were there a huge snake skin was weaved between the jutting rocks where a rattle snake molted. 

Harriet’s brother William Johnson Hunter (1813-1899) married Daniel’s sister Margaret Elizabeth England (1819-1895.  Daniel’s and Harriet’s parents are William Richard England (1775-1835) and Martha “Patsy” Montgomery (1789-1865).

Here is what I am building up to:  William Richard England’s sister was Nancy England.  Nancy married Moses Harshaw.    Here is what I have on Moses:

Their family are considered the founders of Helen, Ga.Their aunt Nancy England married Moses Harshaw, who was considered "The meanest man in Georgia".

Among other things Moses is said to have killed his slaves when they got too old to be profitable, forcing them to leap from cliffs of nearby Lynch Mountain or dig their own graves if they were still able.  When traveling about in his buggy, Harshaw some times had a slave in tow, the unfortunately black pulled along behind at the end of a long leather strap securely attached to a collar fitted snugly around his or her neck.

It is said that his tombstone bore the words "Died and Gone to Hell", however now the grave is unmarked.

-"LIVING ON THE UNICOI ROAD" pg53, by Matt Gedney

History of The Stovall House

Constructed in 1837 as a private residence, The Stovall House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The original structure, one of the first residences in the area after the departure of the Cherokee Indians, was built by Moses Harshaw, a colorful Character in the history of the area who was reputed to be "the meanest man who ever lived ". Although an attorney by profession, he worked the land as a farmer and gold miner. He built the house and settled in the Sautee Valley because of its extraordinary beauty.

The Inn is named after the William Stovall family who resided in the house from 1893 to the late 1940's and developed the house to its present state. - WEBSITE

Moses Harshaw (read the last sentence.

The Coronavirus Monster

Because of the Coronavirus epidemic and our fragile age we are temporary hermits.  We called and cancelled 7 medical appointments the other day that will carry us  through the next 2 months.

Then we will return to business as usual, ho-humming through MRIs and so.  My Parkinson’s Disease exploratory will just have to wait. 

So far it has not prevented holiday celebrations.  Yesterday for Saint Patrick’s Day we got corn beef Rueben’s  at the drive-thru window at Arby’s.

Top of the Fox Theater

Have you ever been on top of the Fox Theater in Atlanta?   We took a tour of the Fox a dozen or so years ago.

You get to this section of the roof by going through the Fox Grand Ball Room.  

Then,  say you were at a Ball there, you and your sweet thing could go outside, on a nice evening, and see the lights of Atlanta, and you can whisper romantic meaningful sweet nothings in her ear. Bring your own water balloons.

A Glob of Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Savannah

Chicago River

THE REALIST Magazine, by Arnold Roth